Deaths of kids in care to be examined

[Posted: Tue 09/03/2010 by Deborah Condon - www.irishhealth.com]

An independent group is being set up to examine the deaths of children in the care of the HSE since 2000, it has been announced.

Barnardos’ director of advocacy, Norah Gibbons and child law expert, Geoffrey Shannon, have already been appointed to the group by the Minister for Children, Barry Andrews. A third independent person ‘of international standing’ is also to be appointed following consultation with Ms Gibbons and Mr Shannon.

The group is due to begin its work as soon as the work of the Roscommon Inquiry is completed. That inquiry is investigating the circumstances surrounding the abuse of six children by their mother over a prolonged period.

The group's report will then be presented to the Minister, who will present it to the Oireachtas and publish it.

Mr Andrews insisted that the group will be asked at an early stage to indicate a schedule for completing the work. It will also be asked to provide regular updates on its progress in relation to this timeframe.

The experts are being asked to examine a number of issues, including existing HSE reports into the deaths of children in care, other than those who died of natural causes. They have been asked to pay particular attention to the involvement of State services with the child and his/her family and to examine the strengths and weaknesses of such involvement.

The experts are also being asked to make recommendations on how to improve child protection responses.

The establishment of this independent group follows the publication last week of a report into the death of Dublin teenager, Tracey Fay. (For more on this report, click here)

According to Fine Gael’s spokesperson for children, Alan Shatter, this announcement ‘is a clear acknowledgement of the total failure of the Government to date to address seriously the scandalous failings within our child care and protection services’.

"The independent group will not commence its work until completion of the Roscommon inquiry. It is notable that the Minister has failed to state when he anticipates the Inquiry will be completed and has to date ignored calls to state when the Roscommon Inquiry report will be published,” Mr Shatter added.